Machine for plowing or otherwise cultivating the soil.



E. FERRISS. MACHINE FOR PLOWING OR. OTHERWISE GULTIVATING THE SOIL.

' APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1908.

90 1,605, Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

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WV)? 70 f E. FERRISS. MAGHINBFOR PLOWING OR OTHERWISE GULTIVATING THE SOIL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1908.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

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E. FERRISS.

MACHINE FOR PLOWING OR OTHERWISE GULTIVATING THE SOIL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 190B.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD FERBISS, OF NAPOLEON, NORTH DAKOTA.

MACHINE FOR PLOWING OR OTHERWISE CULTIVATIN G THE SOIL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

Application filed April 27, 1908. Serial No. 429,492.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD FERRISS, a citizen of the United States, residing at NapIoleo n, in the county of Logan and State of orth Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Plowing or Otherwise Cultivating the Soil; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to -m-ake and use the same.

. Generally stated, my invention has for its object to provide an improved machine for plowing or otherwise cultivating the soil; and

- to this end it consists of the novel devices and by the truck; and the ground-working de-,

vices are carried by a rotatable support which is also preferably driven by the same engine or source of power which drives the traction. wheels of the truck. These ground .working devices are caused to rotate around an approximately vertical axis so that each passes twice over the same ground;.and, under the forward advancing movement of the machine, cut or rake the ground on intersecting arcs, all as. will be hereinafter more fully describe A In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate.

like parts throughout the several views.

f ,Referringito the drawings, Figure '1 is a plan view showing the improved machine,

somepants being broken'away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the improved machine, some parts being broken away and some parts bemg shown invertical section, taken centrally and longitudinally through the machine. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line a m of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail -in section on the line at x of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan view, illustrating a modified form of the so-ca rotary support and several modified forms of ed ground Working devices. Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line at as called bull tongue shown in Fig. 6.

otherwise loose on said shaft.

of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a face view of theBsoig. 8 is a vertical section taken on the line a x of Fig. 5 and Fig. 9 is a vertical section taken on the line x 90 of Fig. 5. 4

Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive show the arms of the rotating support equipped with disks which adapt the machine to operate as a plow, and

this construction will firstbe described. The

truck of the machine is made up of a suitable platform frame 1 having a rlgidly secured rear axle 2 equipped with wheels 3 and provided with an osci l atory front axle 4 equipped with wheels 5. This front axle 4 is rigidly secured to the lower end of the vertical pintle 6 that is journaled in a suitable bearing in the front end of the platform frame 1 and provided at its upper end with a worm gear 7. The worm gear7 meshes with a worm 8 cillatory movements to the axle 4 as will be required to properly steer the machine.

Mounted on the rear portion of the platform frame 1 is a motor in the form of an explosive engine 12, the extended crank shaft secured to the front endof a long horizontal 13 of which is provided at its forward end i with a bevel pinion 14 that meshes with a bevel gear .15, the depending sleeve-like hub of which is journaled in a heavy bearing 16 rigidly secured to the central portion of the platform frame 1. On the intermediate portion of theshaft 13 is another bevel pinion 17 that is held against axial movement but is This pinion 17 meshes with a bevel gear 18 secured at the inner end of a transverse counter-shaft 19 mounted in suitable bearings 20 on the platform frame 1 and provided atits outer end .With a sprocket 21 The sprocket 21 alines with a relatively large sprocket 22 that is secured to the hub of one of the rear wheels 3. A sprocket chain 23 runs over the sprockets 21 and 22. Keyed for rotation with the engine shaft 13 but having a sliding movement thereon is a clutch sleeve 24 that has a half clutch arranged for enga ement with the half clutch carried by the hub of the loose pinion '17. The clutch member 24 is adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with the clutch melnber of the pinion 17 by means of a shipper lever 25, shown as pivotally connected to one of the longitudinal beams of the platform framed As is evident, by means of this lever 25 the engine'may be coupled to and disconnected from the traction wheel, at will. I

A heavy vertically disposed shaft 26 that is square or angular in cross section fits a cor- Y respondingly formed axle sleeve in the sleevelike hub 0 the bevel gear 15 and is caused to rotate with the said gear, but is free for vertical sliding movements in respect to the same. The upper end of this shaft 26 is con nected by a swivel-acting coupling 27, to the forward end of a raising and lowering lever 28, which lever is intermediately pivoted to a pedestal-like fulcrum 29 carried by the platform frame 1. This lever 28 is adapted to be held in any desired position by means of a notched segment or bar 30 secured at its lower end to the platform frame 1.

The numeral 31 indicates an operator's seat, supported at the rear end portion of the platform frame 1, from which position the operator may readily reach the levers 25 and 28 and the steering wheel 11 and may also readily control the machine.

Rigidly secured to the lower end of the vertically adjustable shaft 26 is a rotating support, preferably in the form of a wheel 32 made up of a hub, radial arms, and rim. This wheel or rotary support is preferably provided with four arms that extend radially outward therefrom and to the outer ends of WlllOh the ground working devices, in the present instance in the form of disks, are applied. To provide for' the connection of these armsin their preferred form, the rim of the wheel 32 is provided at four equally spaced points with outwardly projecting rectangular or box-like bearings 33, and the radial arms 34 are provided at their inner ends with angular or box-like sockets 35 that fit over the respective bearings 33 with sufficient clearance to permit limited vertical and lateral movements of the said arms. As best shown in Fig. 3, the arms 34 are tubular and their sockets 35 are provided with shoulders 35 that limit the inward movements of the said sockets on the respective bearings 33.

Tension rods 36 extend axially through the arms 34, sockets 35 and bearings 33 and also project through the rim of the wheel 32. The said rods 36 are jointed at 36*, the said joints 1 being located within the angular bearings 33.

of the wheel 32.-' The said springs, however, permit the arms 34 to be moved vertically or otherwise out of such truly alined positions under certainconditions, hereinafter pointed out. 1

To the outer end of each arm 34 is rigidly secured a horizontally disposed bearing plate 41 to which a journal box 42 is pivotally secured, preferably by slot and bolt connections 43, which latter are shown only in Fi 1. Short axles or trunnions 44, located be ow but extending parallel to the respective arms 34, are journaled in the res ective journal-boxes 42. At their outer en sthese axles or trunnions 44 have rigidly secured disks 45 that are preferably concavo-convex in form.

Tension rods or connections 46 connect the outer ends of the several arms 34 to points a isk. As is evident, by adjustments of the journal-boxes 42 the disks may be set at any desired angle in respect to the cooperatlng arms ound which can not be readily cut by the 34 and may thus be put in the best positions I v for the proper cutting action. By means of the lever 28 the wheel 32 may be vertically adjusted so as to simultaneously move the several disks from their raised or inoperative positions into lowered operative positions, or vice versa; and, with the same adjustments, the said disks may be set to cut through shallow or deep furrows in the ground. The furrow cut by the disks will, of course, be approximately circular; but, under the advance movement of the machine, the furrows out v by the disks when movin transversely of the forward ortion of tie machine will transversely intersect furrows cut by the disks while movin transversely of the rear portion of the mac 'ne'. Furthermore, with the drivin connections from a common engine, the isks will cut furrows of predetermined width, and each furrow cut will be crescent shaped, to-wit, will have a maximum width at the center of the machine and will diminish in width toward the opposite sides of the machine. As the ound is twice worked over by the disks 1t will be very thoroughly out.

In the arran ement described, the disks are disposed at iametrically opposite points so that when two disks are acting at opposite sides of the machine the lateral thrust produced thereby on the machine will be neutralized. The machine, when provided with disks as above described, is especially adapted foruse as a low.

Figs. to 9 mclusive illustrate a modified form'of the rotary support and illustrate 'to be used t e wheel 32 of the above described construction is removed and a hub 47 of s ecial design is secured to the vlower end of t e shaft 26 as a substitute for the said wheel 32. This hub 47 is shown as provided with four long bearing lugs 48 and four cooperating short bearing lugs 49 and radially projecting arms 50, shown as in the form of wooden beams, are pivotally connected to the cooperating lu 4849 by bolts 51. The outer ends of t e long lugs 48 are connected each to one of the arms 50 by a tension rod- 52.

To the outer end of the left hand arm 50,

I as viewedin Fig. 5, a bearing block 53 is secured, preferably by nut equipped U-bolts 54 and clamping bars 54, and a bearing plate 55 i s bolted to the said arm and block. A shovel or bull tongue 56 provided with a stem 57 is passed upward over the ro'ecting end of the plate 55 and is yielding l workin position a-sprmg 58 applied to the Saki secured a weeder, shown as made up of a block 59 and dependin spring teeth 60, which block is detachab y secured to said arm by nut-equipped U-bolts 61 and clamp in Fi .'5 simply to save drawing.

b stem and ilate. To the outer end of .the right hand arm 50, as viewed in Fig. 5, is

ing devices would seldom, if ever, be applied at the same time to the several arms 50, and

it will, of course, be understood that the several different forms of the device areshown W at I claim is:

combination with a truck, of a support connected to the intermediate portion of the truck frame for rotationaround an ap roximatel vertical axis, a multiplicity 0 arms flexib connected to said support, and ground -working devices applied to the free outer ends of said arms.

2. In a machine of the kind described, the combination with a truck, of a support connected to the intermediate portion of the truckframe for rotary movement around an approximately vertical axis, a multiplicity of arms flexibly connected to said rotary sup- ,port by telescoping angular bearings and sockets, spring pressed tension rods tending to hold said arms in radial positions in respect to said support, and ground-working devices applied to the free outer ends ofsal arms.

3. In a machine of the kind described, the combination with a truck, of' a bevel gear having avertical sleeve-like hub mounted in the bearing at the central portion of the truck frame, an engine carried bysaid truck, an engine driven shaft having a bevel pinion meshing with said bevel gear, a dri connection from said driven shaft to one of the truck wheels, an angular shaft arr ed to move verticall through v the hub 0 said bevel gear, a 'fting lever and coo rating latch bar mounted on the truck ame, a swivel connection between said lever and the upper end of said angular shaft, a support secured to the lower end of said angular shaft, and a multiplicity of arms flexibly connected to said sup rt and provided at their free outer ends wit ground-working devices.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 95 'inpresence of two witnesses.

EDWARD FERRISS. Witnesses:

Hamn' D. Km'oonn, MALIE'HOIL.

' 1. In a machine of the kind described, the 

